Noah A. asks: Why do roosters crow in the morning? Next to the bark of a dog or the gentle meowing of a cat, the crow of a rooster is one of the most recognisable animal noises on Earth; but why exactly do roosters feel the need to crow and is there any truth to the idea that they crow […]
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In this episode, we’re plunging down the rabbit-hole trying to separate myth from fact to discern who was France’s most famous prisoner, the Man in the Iron Mask. In the Bonus Fact, you’re also going to learn some interesting things about what inspired Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes […]
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This Day In History: January 29, 1820 On January 29, 1820, King George III died at Windsor Castle after 60 years on the throne, the longest reign of any English monarch up to that time. Extremely ill both mentally and physically for the last decade of his life, his son George, Prince of Wales had begun acting as Regent in […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the surprisingly recent invention of the baby carrots commonly found in supermarkets today, and the interesting story behind their creation. We also debunk a prevalent myth about baby carrots. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily […]
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For years, the knife was the most commonly used tool to sharpen the wooden writing instrument known as a pencil (which historians believe was invented in the 15th or 16th century). But whittling the wood away to eventually produce a point was a time-consuming, tedious, and inexact process. As pencils became more ubiquitous in everyday life, it became apparent that […]
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This Day In History; January 28, 1986 On January 28, 1986, one of the nation’s, and certainly NASA’s, most heart-wrenching tragedies occurred when the space shuttle Challenger blew apart just a minute after lift-off, ultimately killing all on board. This event, which had been anticipated with such optimism, turned into a cause for national mourning almost in the blink of […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the story behind the iconic Morton’s Salt girl, and whether or not she was based on a real person. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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This is a question we’ve gotten a lot from readers over the years and we were going to answer it ourselves eventually, but honestly Hank Green already did a phenomenal job of it, so here’s his video on the subject. If you like this video, be sure and subscribe to their phenomenal channel, SciShow. If you liked this video, you […]
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Matt T. asks: I was in southern California a while back and managed to pick up an AM radio station from Washington, but only at night. I’ve experienced the same thing at night in Washington picking up an L.A. radio station. In the day, it doesn’t work. So my question to you is why do radio signals seem to travel […]
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This Day In History: January 27, 1302 Dante Alighieri, who was known simply as Dante long before Cher or Madonna made single-name fame a thing, is considered by many the greatest poet of the Middle Ages, known chiefly for his masterwork “The Divine Comedy.” Dante rounded out his impressive resume with experience as both a politician and a philosopher. Not […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn what former Major League Baseball player was also a secret agent in the predecessor of the CIA, and the remarkable skills he brought to the table in this line of work. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: […]
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The names that come to mind at the mention of the Italian Renaissance are the likes of Medici, Da Vinci, and Galileo. Few, however, know the name Bartolomeo Cristofori, an accomplished craftsman who lived and worked during that era. You may not know his name, but you do know his greatest invention- the “harpsichord with loud and soft,” better known […]
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“In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…. Today, Christopher Columbus is celebrated as a mythical hero by some – complete with songs, poems, and fictional tales about his great adventure across the Atlantic to explore the majestic land that would eventually be known as the Americas. There are fifty four communities named after the explorer in […]
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This Day In History: January 26, 1962 There is only one song that made it to number one on the Billboard charts on two separate Billboard runs, and that is Chubby Checker’s legendary dance smash “The Twist.” The title first topped the chart for the week of Sept. 24, 1960, and then reclaimed the number one position on January 13, […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. 20 Interesting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Facts 1) His name was originally Michael, not Martin. His father was also Michael King, hence why Martin Luther King Jr. was originally named Michael King Jr. However, after a trip to Germany in […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn whether or not regularly cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Jesus M. asks: Is there any real cheese in cheese whiz? As America gets ready for their upcoming Super Bowl parties (or Royal Rumble party, if that’s your thing), Cheez Whiz – the yellowish-orange, gooey, bland tasting “cheese” product – will surely make an appearance at some of them. But what is Cheez Whiz? Why did get it invented? And […]
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This Day In History: January 23, 1957 On January 23, 1957 the Wham-O toy company rolled out their very first batch of plastic aerodynamic flying discs – now known the world over as Frisbees. Since that day, the landscape of college campuses, parks and beaches have never been the same. The story of the Frisbee began on a Santa Monica, […]
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